Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'(No Model.)

W. D. THUBMOND.

OAR COUPLING.

l/qhtweoo/ao wasmmw @Mozm a 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM DAVID THURMOND, OF FORSYTI-I, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TIIURMOND CAR COUPLING COMPANY, OF VEST VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,709, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed February 2'7, 1890. Serial No. 341,964. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DAVID THUR- MOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forsyth, in the county of Monroe and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to certain improvements upon that class of car-couplings known as twin-j aw couplings, to which class applications filed by me May 5, 1888, Serial No. 272,89G,and September 13, 1889, Serial No. 323,855, belong, and I do not therefore desire to claim anything herein whichis claimed in either of the said applications; but this invention differs from those hereinbefore mentioned in the device used for relieving the pivot-pin from strain, and also in having an improved locking-bolt, whereby the pivoted hook or knuckle is locked against rotation, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar letters, Figure l is a horizontal longitudinal section of a coupling constructed according, to this invention, taken on the line at of, Fig. 2, showing the hook locked and in the position which it occupies when coupled with a corresponding coupler upon a straight or medium curved track, its position when opened for coupling or after uncoupling being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section on line 09 0c of Fig. 1, the locking-bolt having a pivoted link attached to its top for lifting it. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on the lines 00 x of Figs. 1 and 2, the shank of the knuckle being shown fully home within the draw-head and locked in that position. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the same lines as Fig. 3, the locking-bolt having a cap provided with an eye on its top in the place of the link shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the shank of the knuckle being locked in the position winch it occupies after coupling 011 a sharp curve.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the same T lines as Figs. 3 and 4 andupon the line 00 m of Fig. 6, having another form of tipping mechanism for the locking-bolt connected therewith, and having the lock-bolt held up by the shank of the knuckle, the parts having the position which they occupy when in the act of uncoupling. Fig. 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section on line 00 x of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a rear View of the locking-bolt shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is a rear and front view of the latch shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 9 is a side view of the locking-bolt shown in Fig. 4:, taken from the side adjoining the chamber a Fig. 10is a horizontal section of the locking-pin on the line 00 .93 of Figs& and 9. Fig.

11 is a perspective view of the coupling-hook. Fig. 12 is a front view of the locking-pin.

The coupler is constructed of three principal parts, the draw-bar A, the pivoted hook B, and the locking-bolt O, the two former of which are the same for all forms of my invention shown herein, and will be therefore first described.

The jaw A of the draw-head is provided with ears a, between which the hook B is pivoted, and is chambered at a suificiently to allow the hook B to swing in and out. The face of a projecting part a of the vertical wall of the chamber a as well as the rear face I) of the hook-shank, lie in segments of circles whose common center is the axis of rotation of the hook B, there being just sufficient space between the end of the hook and the projecting part a of the vertical wall of the chamber to admit of the hook-shank moving in and out freely. The cars a, in which the hook is pivoted, and the opposite horizontal faces forming the roof and bottom of the chamber 61, 111 the jaw are reduced in thickness, so as to leave curved shoulders a and a, the faces of which also lie in arcs of circles whose centers are in the axis of rotation endwise movement, whatever may be its position, so long as aportion of the same within remains within the draw-head. The amplitude of the rotary motion of the hook is limited outwardly by the shoulder a on the draw-head, so that the hook-shank can at no time swing fully out of the draw-head so long as the pivotpinor bolt P remains in position.

In the hereinbefore-mentioned applications I have shown corresponding grooves upon the roof and floor of the chamber a and corresponding tongues upon the upper and lower faces of the shank of the knuckle; but in my present invention I substitute therefor a lug A upon the inner surface of the outer wall of the-chamber a which engages with a correspondingirecessb in the outer surface ofthe shank ofv the hook when the latter is sufficiently within thedraw-head to be locked by th e .10 ckin g-bolt. recess are struck by arcs of circles whose centers are in the axis of rotation of the hook Be As no pulling strain is upon the coupler until the hook islocked against opening and nobuffing strain until the shank has fully entered the chamber, it will be seen that at these times the lug A will have entered the recess in the hook. The hook is guided in its movement in coupling and uncoupling by the shoulders a and a and as the lug A and" shoulders a and a and projecting part a of the vertical wall of the chamber a form abutments or bearings which take up all the force-of the end-thrust on the hook, it will be readily seen that all strain or shearing action upon the pivot-pin of the hook is avoided, and that a plurality of pivotal bearings a are provided for the hook, so that should the pivotpin P break, or be accidentally or designedly removed, the hook could not be drawn out of the draw-head so long as the recess 11 therein is inengagement with the lug A on the drawhead; Asthe inner end of the hook-shank fits" snugly against the projection a of the draw-head, snow, ice, or dirt that may have accumulated on the hook when drawn out, is sheared or scraped off when the hook-shank is pushed into the chamber of the jaw. It will also-be seen that the rear shoulders I) on the hook-shank form a tail-piece b thereon of less thickness thanthe main portion of the shank.

The locking-bolt G is fitted in such a manner as to be capable of a vertical upward and downward movement Within an upright chamber a which intersects the line of draft or longitudinal axis of the coupler, and alsothe chamber a of the draw-head. The lockingbolt 0 has a recess 0 of curvilinear form, its line of curvature being a segment of a circle in which the coupling-hooks swing, so that when the locking-bar is lifted in uncoupling the tail-piece of the hook canswing outward throughthe recess, and the locking-bar can restthereon. In other words, when thehook swings out a portion of the tail-piece b 011 The faces of the lug and- -by the floor of the recess in the jaw A.

the shank thereof will remain within the draw-head, and the shoulder 0 above the curvilinear recess 0' of the bolt will rest upon the tail-piece of the shank.

The body of the locking-bolt C, which is rectangular when the coupling-hookis locked, lies in front of the tail thereof, and in order to permit the hook being locked on curves has a portion 0 of its side which is adjacent to and faces the tail-piece b of the shank of the hook, and which is immediately above the recess 0', slightly cut away, forming a step, while the forward end of the tail-piece b has its upper portion also cut away, forming a corresponding step If, as shown; but it is evident that a step upon either one of the said parts may be used without a step upon the other, or that both may be used together. From an examination of Figs. 3, 4, and 5 it will be seen that when the shank is fully within the chamber a Fig. 3, therise of the step c of the bolt bearsagains-t the forwardface of the base of the tail-piece, while-the side of the locking-bolt will bear upon. the

rise of the step 12 and that if the shank of the hook is partly out of the chamber the rise of the step c on the bolt will engage the rise ofthe step b on the tail-piece, thus giving two points at which the hook may belocked against rotation, and permitting my invention to be coupled on curves on which the shank is not forced fully home. It will also be seen that the locking-bolt cannot be entirely lifted from the chamber a while the hook is in place, as the shoulder 0 below the curvilinear recess 0 will strike the bottom'of the forward end of the tail-piece; and in this connection it may be stated that to accomplish this result and limit-the upward movement of the locking-bolt it is only I necessary that a-portion of the'shank of the hook when forced fully home project past and above a portion of the lockin g side of its base, which will strike the lower surface of the shank of the hook, and it will be noticed that in the'construction adopted by met-he said shoulder is fiush with the forward: and vlocking sides of the bolt.

I also strengthen the locking-bolt by carrying the rear and side walls a of the chamber a in which it is IIO contained from the top to the bottom of the bottom,,which, when lifted, may be caught.

To do this it is necessary that the lower endof the locking-bolt be thrown forward, and I have shown several forms of devices for this purpose.

The link 6, attached to the top of the locking-bolt in Fig. 2, or'the eye 6 on the top thereof, (shown in Fig. 9,) maybe located forward of the vertical plane of the center of gravity of the bolt, causing it when lifted to swing to the desired inclination; or the means for lifting the bolt may be connectedthereto from the rear, as shown in the chain 6 in Fig. 9, or the automatic tipping mechanism shown in Figs. 5, 6, '7, and 8, which I will now describe, may be used.

A vertical longitudinal slot 0 is cut in the central portion of the locking-bolt, the said slot having near its bottom recesses 0 upon each side thereof, that portion of the slot above the recess opening at the rear upon the rear surface of the bolt 0, while below the recesses the slot is covered. A lifting-plate D of substantially triangular form, having its apex within the covered portion of the slot, has shoulders (1 which fit within the recesses 0 while the plate D passes up through the slot 0 and through the cover a of the chamber. The shoulders 61 have beveled forward upper edges, and may also have beveled rear lower edges, which engage with the correspondingbeveled edges of therecesses c. It is obvious from an examination of this construction that when the lifting-plate D is raised the locking-bolt will move with it, and that the beveled upper edges upon the lifting-rod working against the inclined edges upon the locking-bolt will force the latter forward, so that the shoulder 0 will rest upon the bottom of the chamber (0 The locking-bolt being thus set for uncoupling, when the hook swings outward the shank thereof comes into contact with it and moves it backward, thus forcing the shoulder c from its resting place on the floor of the chamber, and causing the bolt to drop until the upper shoulder o rests upon the upper surface of the tail-piece of the shank.

In order to render it more certain that the locking-pin will be forced backward when the tail-piece of the shank leaves the chamber a I may place on the forward end of the tail-piece a beveled face I), which will strike the curvilinear recess a of the bolt and force it backward, or a second curvilinear face 0 as shown in Fig. 10, may be cut in the locking-bolt on the locking side thereof on aplane with curvilinear face 0, against which the rear end of the shank tail-piece will strike, forcing it backward; orthe beveled face I) on the tail-piece and the curvilinear face a may be used simultaneously and together.

It may be sometimes desired to drop the locking-bolt after it has been raised, and without pulling out the coupling-hook, and this result may be obtained by pushing backward the forward upper face (1 of the lifting plate or latch D, as by so doing the bottom of the plate will be thrown backward, and its end being engaged in the lower part of the slot will throw the locking-bolt backward; or if the shoulders d have rear lower beveled edges, as shown, they will engage the corresponding faces in the recesses and cause the same result.

The locking-bolt can be inserted in its chamber either from the top or bottom, in the form shown in Fig. 4, it being inserted from the top, while in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6, it is shown inserted from the bottom.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a head (2 is formed upon the top of the locking-bolt and rests upon the top of the draw-head when the bolt is fully down, and is protected when raised by the walls e formed on the top of the draw-head.

In the form shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6 the chamber a has a cap formed integral therewith, as a", through which the link a or plate D extends, and in Fig. 2 I have shown a plate 6 projecting into the chamber a to aiford a rest for the shoulder a of the locking-bolt. In the figures lastnamed the bolt is prevented from fallin gout while theknuckle is in place by the tread of the step c therein resting upon either the top of the tail-piece of the hook or upon the tread of the step 12 formed therein, or by the shoulder a resting upon the top of the tail-piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a pivoted hook, a couplingbolt having a vertical movement in the said draw-head in the path of the shank of the said hook, the said bolt having a curvilinear re cess in its forward face, and having a step in its side contiguous to the said shank, as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a pivoted hook, a locking-bolt having a vertical movement in the said drawhead in the path of the shank of the said hook, a curvilinear recess on the forward face of the locking-bolt, a shoulder beneath the said recess, recesses having forward upper beveled faces in the rear of the said lockingbolt, and a latch having its lower end engaged by a covered slot in the rear of the lockingbolt, and having shoulders with forward upper beveled faces upon its sides, the said shoulder being received by the rear recesses in the locking-bolt, as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, ofa pivoted hook, a locking-bolt having a vertical movement in the said drawhead in the path of the shank. of the said hook, a curvilinear recess on the forward face of thelocking-bolt, and a shoulder beneath the said recess, recesses having upper forward and lower rear beveled faces on the back of the said locking-bolt, and a latch having shoulders upon its sides received by the said recesses in the rear of the locking-bolt, the said shoulders having upper forward and rear lower beveled faces, as described.

t. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a pivoted hook, a coupling-bolt having a vertical movement in the said drawhead in the path of'th'e shank of the said hook, a curvilinear recess on the forward face of the-locking-bolt, and a shoulder beneath thesaid recesses, recesses having upper forward and lower rear'beveled faces in the back of the said locking-bolt,- and a latch having its lower end engaged in acovered slot inthea draw-head, of a hook pivoted therein, a tail piece onthe shank of the said hook,

rear ofthe locking-bolt, and havi'ngshoulders upon: its sidesreceived by-the-said recesses in the r'e'ar'of the locking-bolt, th'esaid shoul' ders 'having upper forward and rear lower beveled faces, as described.-

5. In a car-coupling, the combinationyt'vith' a dra-W-headhaving a hook pivotally'attached thereto,- of a vertically and laterally moving lock'ing bolt-mounted in the-said draw-head f scribed; I p 11. In a car-coupling, the co'r'nb'iiiat-iomwith i a draw-headg of a hook pivoted therein, and having a tail piece upon its shank, and a? we tically-rnoving locking-bolt having a recess in in the pathof the shank of the said hook,- the said locking-bolt havin'ga rccessin its" forward face for the passage of the said shank, and a cur ve-dface on its side contiguous to the said shank and en'- a level'with' the recess in itsf'orward' face, wherebythe bolt will be forced-backward'upon a rotationof the hook, as described;

6. In-'a car' coupling, the combinatiomwith a draw-head having a hook pivotallyattached \thereto, of a vertically and laterally moving a a draw-head, of' a hook pivoted therein-,aver tically-movable locking-bolt mounted in the locking-bolt mountedin the said draw-head in. the path of the shank of the said hook, the said shank having a tail-piecethereon, having a forwa-rdbeveled edge, and the said locking-bolt having a curvilinear recess in its forward face for the passage of the said tail-- piece','and a curved face 011 its side contiguous to the said tail-piece and on a level with the recess in" its forward face, whereby the bolt will be forced backward, as described. 7

7. Ina car-coupling, thecolnbinatiomwith a draw-head,- of a pivoted hook havinga step pivoted hook having a recess in therear' of itsshank, a-draw-headin which the said hook upon" the upper partof the rear'endof its shankand a locking-bolt having a vertical movement in vthe said draw-banand in the path-of the said shank, as described.

8. In a car-conpling the combination, with a draw-head, of a pivoted hook and a lockingbolthavin'g a vertical-movement in the said draw-head in the path of the shank of the said l'1ook','thesaid hook having a step upon f nature in'presence of two witnesses.

the upper'p'a'rt of its shank,-and the said locking bolt having a step in its side contiguous to the said shank, as described;

9. In a car-coupling,thecmnbination, with a draw-headgof' a hook pivoted therein, and

its face for the passage of the said tail-piece and a step i'n' its side contiguous-'to the said tail-piece and to thesai'd recessin itsface',as described.

10. In a car-coupling, theconibin'ation',with

forward beveled edge, and a vertically andlat- Y ra'lly mo vinglocking-bolt mounted in the's'aid draw-headin the path of the tail-piece, the said locking-bolt having arec'essin its forwardface for the passage of the said tail-piece" and a step in its side; cont-igiious"tothe-saidtail piece and to the=said recessin its face','=as"'d'e its face for the passage of the said tail piece and a step in" its side contiguous to thesaid tail-piece and to the said recess in face, and 5 a shoulder in the saidbolt,-whe1'eby i-t may' be 1 retained in araised position.

12; "Ina car c'ouplin gythe corilbi'natiom witlf said drawhead;having a recess in its'forward and in its locking side, a shoulder on the said lbolt below the said recesses, the said shoulder'being flush with theforwarcaudlocking sides of thebolt,a portion of the shank of I the hook being constantly' within on e of the i said recesses, whereby the u wa-rdmovernent of the locking bolt will be limited, as de-- scribed.-

2 having a tail-pi'eccu o it's-shank, andave ticallyqnovin glocki ng-bmhaving arecess in 13. In a car'-coupling;-the combination of r is mounted, having a lug thereon projecting into the said recess, and a vertically m'oving In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- WILLI-AM DAVID THURMOND.

Witnesses-t I WM. ENSIGER YOUNG,

'DANL. L. TOWER. 

